Electrolytic water purifier



' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THOMAS J. CURTIS, OF VENICE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 EFFIE G. HOOPER, 0F BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA ELECTROLYTIC WATER PURIEIER Application filed November 28, 1930. Serial No. 498,635.

This invention is a practically arranged and effective electrolytic water purifier adapted particularly for household use.

One feature of the invention consists in constructing and arranging the electrolytic apparatus so that the means for electrolytically treating water is located in the lower part of the water container or jar and has secured to it a tubular member that extends upwardly beyond the mouth of the jar or container for carrying the electrical connection or cord with a plug on the outer end of it adapted to be inserted in a wall plug.

To the foregoing end the means for electrolytically treating the water consists of a housing open at the bottom and closed at the top with a pair of parallel positive and negative rods secured in said top and extending downwardly and carrying horizontally disposed disk-like cathodes and anodes suitably spaced apart and from the top of the housing by small blocks of bakelite or other insulating material.

Another feature of the invention consists in providing the water jar or container with ahottom that tapers downwardly to a valvecontrolled waste outlet whereby the waste will accumulate and concentrate to the eX treme lower part of the water container and will readily pass out by gravity when the waste outlet is open for that purpose.

With this invention the electrolytic part can be made, shipped and distributed independently of the water jar or of any particular form of water jar.

The full nature of this invention will be understood from the accompanying drawing and the following description and claims.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a central vertical section of the water jar with the electrolytic means therein in elevation. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section on line 22, Fig. 1, through the electrolytic means, being centrally broken away at one point. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the electrolytic means shown in Fig. 2.

In the drawing there is shown a water jar of the usual size for supplying drinkin water for household use, and it is supported upon the skeleton frame 11 and has the usual faucet 12 on the side. Said jar has a bottom 13 which tapers downwardly to a centrally threaded opening for a drain cock 1 l which is valve controlled. The tapering form of the bottom 13 with said drain cock is for the purpose of draining the waste matter which has been quickly and easily separated from the water and accumulated in the bottom of the jar.

The electrolytic means is inserted through the large mouth of the jar and consists of a housing 15 for the cathode and anodes, a tu bular stem 16 with a handle 17 on the upper end and a connecting cap 18 which is mounted on the lower end of said tubular member 16 and the top 19 of the housing 15.

The foregoing construction is a unit and in said unit the electrical apparatus is mounted. The electric apparatus consists of a cord 20 with a plug 21 secured in one end for the ready insertion in and removal from the wall plug. Said cord contains the positive wire 23 and negative wire 24 which are connected respectively with the positive post or rod 25 and the negative post or rod 26 by the nuts 27.

The positive and negative rods or posts 25 and 26 are mounted parallel with each other in a cap 19 of the housing 15 in suitable in sulation 28. On the two rods or posts 25 and 26 there are threaded bakelite blocks 30 and cathodes 31 and anodes 32 in series as shown. The cathodes and anodes are in the form of circular disks of the same dimension and the positive rod or post 25 is insulated from the cathodes by insulations 3.3 and the negative rod or post 26 isinsulat-ed from the anodes 32 by insulations The anodes and cathodes are spaced from each other by said bakelite blocks 30. The bakelite blocks 30 are oblong, as shown in Fig. 3.

The housing has a top 19 and is open at the bottom and has a multiplicity of holes 34 through which the water can circulate. On the upper end of the housing 15 the cap 18 is screwed and into said cap the tubular member 16 is screwed and on the upper end of said tubular member the handle 1'? is screwed so that they are readily united and separated.

Each rod 25 and 26 has on it a nut 35 which is countersunk in the lower bakelite insulating member 30 and insulated by a fiber filling 36, as seen in Fig. 2.

The electrolytic means shown in Fig. 2 is readily insertible in the jar 10 as shown in Fig. 1, as it constitutes a unit. It is manipulated as a unit by the handle 17 for placing it in and removing it from said jar.

The cathodes and anodes extend horizontally in the form of disks and are located in the housing in relatively small dimensions at the lower end of the total electrolytic apparatus, as seen in Fig. 1.

There are no cathodes and anodes extending verticall for the length of the jar and the means or electrolytically treatmg the water is confined to the lower portion of the jar and the tubular member 16 extends upwardly to a point above the jar for holding the cord 20 containing the wires.'

The travel of the electrolytic circuit is plain in Fig. 2, passing down through positive wire 23 to the rod or post 25 and thence to the anodes 32 and through the water to the cathodes 31 and out through the rod or post 26 and negative line 24.

It is thus seen that said electrolytic means is very simply constructed and arranged for effectively treating the water for purifying the same and the parts all can be quickly united and separated. The ortion thereof for electrolytically treating t e water is limited to only the lower part of the water and the construction therefore is greatl reduced and simplified. Also the bottom 0 the jar is so formed as to automatically or by gravity remove the waste matter through the waste cook 14 when it is opened for that purpose and without interfering with the electrolytic means.

It is also noted that the electrolytic means is made as a separate unit and shipped and distributed independently of the water jar or of any particular form of water jar.

I claim as my invention:

1. A submergible electrolytic water purifier including a cylindrica metal housing having an open lower end, a top secured to the upper end of said housing a cap secured to an upwardly extending flange on said housing, an elongated tube having its lower end secured to said cap and its upper end secured to a handle, positive and negative metal rods having their upper ends secured to said top and in circuit with an electric cord extended down into said cap throu h said tube, disk-shaped cathodes and ano es mounted on said rods and insulated so that the electric circuit'from the cathodes to the anodes willpass through the water in which the purifier 1s submerged, and opposing nuts on said rods for securing said cathodes, anodes and insulation together.

2. A submergible electrolytic water purifier including a perforated cylindrical sheet metal housing having an open lower end, a

tric cord extended down through said han- I dle and tube to contacts on the top ends of said rods, said parts arranged and insulated so that current from said cord will pass through the water in passin from the cath odes to the anodes when sai purifier is submerged in water.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto afiixed my signature.

THOMAS J. CURTIS. 

